Chiropractic for Herniated Discs

Chiropractic for herniated discs is one of the most common treatment
modalities for people who have been diagnosed with chronic pain due to
an abnormal disc pathology.

It is crucial to understand all about
herniated discs
and
chiropractic
in order to decide if this treatment approach is indicated for your
particular condition, and if so, how long to continue care.

I hope that my 18 years of suffering from misdiagnosed herniated disc pain and undergoing treatment with dozens of
chiropractors
will help you to better understand this complex topic.

Although I
still have pain, I am no longer in any kind of treatment. I found that
although chiropractic was my choice of therapy for decades, it never
cured me, nor provided substantial or lasting symptomatic relief. In
fact, it may have made things worse in my own case.

Chiropractic for Herniated Discs Treatment

Traditional chiropractic treatment for herniated discs consists of
spinal adjustments
possibly combined with
dietary
alteration or a
back exercise
program. Although many chiropractors claim that treatments can
reduce the size of most herniations, objective research does not support
this with any solid or medically recognized evidence.

In fact, some
back doctors
theorize that chiropractic may exacerbate bulging discs in as many cases as it reduces them.

Furthermore, most doctors will agree that
bulging discs
often decrease in size and resolve all by themselves, making the claims
of cures from chiropractic coincidental, in theory. I can tell you
from my own 18 years of care directed at reducing the size of my 2
herniated discs at L4/L5 and L5/S1, chiropractic did not seem to help or
aggravate the size or symptoms of the disc issues.

Last year, I
discovered that I have 6 discs in my neck, and 4 in my upper back
herniated, with degenerative changes demonstrating that these
herniations have been there for a very long time. Obviously,
chiropractic did nothing to help or hurt these discs either.

When it comes to providing a cure, most chiropractors take a
middle ground stance, saying that they may be able to resolve a
herniation and they may not. However, most will state that they can
relieve the
symptoms of herniated discs,
even though clinical research and carefully collected statistics
clearly show that the vast majority of disc issues are not at all
painful. In these cases, the diagnosis is obviously wrong and the
treatment is nothing more than a
placebo.

Chiropractic for Herniated Discs Advice

Ok, so here is my take based on extensive
personal experience,
the latest objective
back pain research
and the opportunity to call many chiropractors friends and students of mine:

If you are considering chiropractic treatment for a herniated
disc, at least know the facts. Odds are that the herniation will not go
away. If it does, it probably will resolve even without any treatment. Odds also point to the fact that the herniation is not likely to be the actual source of pain anyway.

Chiropractic may be recommended to be continued for many years,
which can be costly. If you are looking for disc pain relief, from a
verified structurally symptomatic disc concern, I recommend going to a
chiropractor who offers
non-surgical spinal decompression.
Although pricey, this treatment is effective and finite, compared to ongoing
symptomatic treatment
slavery.

To wrap it all up, here is the summary… Chiropractic may help and
it may not. A cure may be possible, but the question of whether
chiropractic provided it or whether the disc simply healed naturally
will always remain unknown.

A few patients might suffer an escalation of symptoms under
chiropractic care. Therefore, the best you can do is investigate the
treatment, consider giving it a try and see for yourself.

Just be sure to discuss the pros and cons and any inherent risks
for your specific condition. The more you know, the better your chances
of finding relief.